“Seen People Get Shot At”: Paul Pierce Gets Real on Dealing With Gangs in High School

Los Angeles is an iconic city and one of the most glamorous in the world. However, to many it feels like a city of two halves. You might have grown up in Beverly Hills with money, or you could have come from a place where life was far from rainbows and butterflies. Paul Pierce, unfortunately, knows the less privileged reality of L.A. all too well.

Pierce spent his early life in Inglewood, one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in California. Reminiscing about his childhood, he shared some fascinating and, at times, frightening stories on All Facts No Brakes with NFL icon Keyshawn Johnson.

The turning point of Pierce’s life came when his family moved out of Inglewood. But he continued to attend the same school in the area. Since he could no longer rely on family for rides, he had to take the bus.

“Now you [are] dealing with other high school kids going to other schools. I’m dealing with kids who go to Crenshaw. I’m dealing with kids who go to Westchester. So I’m on the bus with so many different students,” Pierce told Johnson.

Why was this such a big deal? Well, not every student was on the right path in life. Some were involved with gangs, and since the bus was so full of students from all over, rival gangs would occasionally face off.

“Stuff used to pop off. I’ve seen people get shot at. I’ve seen people get jumped on the bus. I ain’t seeing this at first,” continued Pierce, who reiterated that taking the bus completely changed his viewpoint on life, especially after it nearly got him killed.

“I got off on Crenshaw and Manchester and had to put my hands up and got into a couple of squabbles. Once you get on that bus, [you] don’t know what’s going on. [You] don’t know who’s gonna get on that bus,” he added.

Fortunately, Pierce kept good company. People looked out for him and kept him out of trouble. The former forward probably wouldn’t trade those early experiences for anything, because they helped shape the man who reached the very top.

Pierce went on to play 19 seasons in the NBA, becoming a 10-time All-Star, an NBA champion, and Finals MVP with the Boston Celtics. As for Inglewood…

It has certainly transformed from the neighborhood Pierce grew up in. The city has since built SoFi Stadium, the Intuit Dome (home of the Los Angeles Clippers), and other landmarks that have helped enhance the area’s value.

That’s not to say Inglewood doesn’t have its share of issues. But it goes to show that, with time, everything changes.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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